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BCB takes u-turn to reinstate Najmul Shanto as Bangladesh Test captain after brief exit

Akshita Patel

Bangladesh bring back their veteran Test captain [Source: AFP Photos]Bangladesh bring back their veteran Test captain [Source: AFP Photos]

In a surprising twist, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has reinstated Najmul Hossain Shanto as the country’s Test captain until the end of the 2025-2027 WTC cycle. He will lead the team in the next series vs Ireland.

Shanto had stepped down from the role in June this year after Bangladesh’s 1-0 Test series loss to Sri Lanka, citing that handling captaincy across formats was becoming difficult. 

At that time, he said that having three separate captains would be difficult for the team. While BCB were surprised by the call, they allowed Shanto to step aside.

BCB convince Najmul Shanto to retain Test captaincy

However, just a few months later, the BCB has decided to put its faith back in Najmul Shanto and his leadership, announcing that he will continue as Test skipper starting with the upcoming two-match series against Ireland, which begins on November 11 in Sylhet.

Shanto, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude after being reinstated, calling it the biggest honour of his life.

"I feel truly honoured to continue leading the Bangladesh Test team and I am very grateful to the Board for the faith and trust they have shown in my captaincy. Captaining my country in Test cricket is the greatest pride of my life. I will do my utmost to repay the responsibility that has been entrusted to me," Shanto said in a statement.

So far under Shanto's command, they have played 14 Tests in which Bangladesh have achieved four wins, nine losses, and one draw.

His most notable achievement came in August 2024, when Bangladesh achieved a historic 2-0 Test series win in Pakistan, arguably one of their biggest cricket overseas successes.

Despite having 3 months of time to find his replacement, BCB perhaps found no like-for-like substitute to Najum Shanto and his tactical acumen. 

That being said, Bangladesh currently sits seventh on the WTC points table, with just four points after two matches, one loss and one draw against Sri Lanka. 

The upcoming Ireland series, however, will not count towards WTC points.

Shanto earlier resigned as all-format captain

Earlier this year, Najmul Shanto had given up the T20I captaincy (now held by Litton Das) and was replaced by Mehidy Hasan Miraz as ODI captain. 

But despite the reshuffle across formats, BCB believes Shanto remains the right man to lead Bangladesh in Tests.

With a fresh chance to prove himself, Najmul Hossain Shanto will now look to inspire Bangladesh’s red-ball revival as they prepare for a packed Test schedule ahead.